Should I Stop or Should I Go?

This crazy traffic light is a 14 "lanterns" (that’s the official term) found in the Central Business District in Melbourne, Australia.

More traffic light shenanigans at Traffic Signals

Update 7/3/08 - Thanks to Neatorama reader Lindsey, we have a better pic of the monster traffic light:

Lindsey said that the traffic light, which is located at a major intersection, is for cars, trams and bicycle lanes.

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July 3, 2008 at 2:39 pm by Alex
Category: Car & Vehicle, Pictures, Travel & Places

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18 comments to "Should I Stop or Should I Go?"

jay
July 3rd, 2008 at 2:54 pm
People must be far more ‘with it’ there… around here, they would just be confused, and there would be a lot of accidents. Now I know what you are thinking… we are not really a bunch of inbred idiots, there are just a lot of older people, that’s all.
Polx
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Now I lived in Melbourne for nearly 7 years and don’t recall ever seeing these.

But with a bit of logical thought… if you think of it as being that the centre lights are for the trams and the others are for the cars the whole thing is a lot simpler than it looks.

A lot simpler than tryng to describe the Melbourne Hook Turn.
Polx
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:05 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hook_turn
Makkelele
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Can some Aussie please post a picture-serie of this one being lit?
alison
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Haha oh the hook turns, the reason I never even attempted to drive when I lived there
EP
July 3rd, 2008 at 5:11 pm
I think that is a great idea to control traffic jams.
Larfin Jackarse
July 3rd, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Must be great fun when the power goes out.

@Makkelele
I would love to take a fode for you but that means going in to the city and ahhh no thanks.

I think this it here http://maps.google.com.au/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=-37.809788,144.963781& spn=0.000379,0.000587&t=h&z=21
Chris Gregory
July 3rd, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Melbourne has the largest tram system in the English-speaking world, and they almost all meet in the central business district. So you’ve got lights for the trams going down the middle of the street, then lights for traffic on either side of the street, then lights for when the trams are turning and for when the automotive traffic can turn.

The camera angle obfuscates the lights themselves, which are fairly self-explanatory. I’ve lived in Melbourne long enough to be comfortable with the hook turn as well, which again is only in the CBD. For truly confusing traffic systems, go to Canberra, which is a planned city based on weird circular trafic patterns - you need to use a protractor to give someone directions.
Polx
July 3rd, 2008 at 5:40 pm
When I was riding a bicycle in Melbourne, I realised that basically at every cross roads you were performing a Hooky.

Austaralia is so fine

God I miss my Kingswood
Polx
July 3rd, 2008 at 6:20 pm
And in the background is the conical roof of Daimaru.

Or the shopping centre where Daimaru was.
Lindsey
July 3rd, 2008 at 6:59 pm
The background cone is part of Melbourne Central, a shopping center. The cone covers an old museum where a shot tower is housed. I live two blocks from the stop light, I’ll try to get a pic of it lit and send it in.
Gail Pink
July 3rd, 2008 at 8:37 pm
They would love this in New York City!
your_mum_goes_to_college
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Melbourne is RIDIC to drive through! So easy to get lost and end up on a highway from the city with no exits that leads you to the sticks. And they e charge you all the way.
Larfin Jackarse
July 4th, 2008 at 1:26 am
Well done Lindsey!
Polx
July 4th, 2008 at 3:54 am
Lindsey

yeah that was the name of the place. I only ever went in there to Daimaru, so to my mind they were synonymous.
Brayden
July 5th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
can’t forget this one:

http://www.artofthestate.co.uk/london_photos/Canary_Wharf_Traffic_Ligh ts.htm
Brian
August 3rd, 2008 at 10:09 am
@Chris Gregory
Actually at this intersection (corner of La Trobe and Swanston St) the trams cannot turn, they do cross the intersecion from both directions though.

And yes it is a dangerous intersection, last week I saw a taxi driver run the red light there, I think he did it on purpose though…
flashtastic
August 4th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Although the lights themselves are not that confusing (read comments above as to what each of them refers to) the sequence of lights is.

The left and right arrows go green at the same time but the straight circle never goes green. This is because the part of Swanston St ahead is not designed to take a large amount of traffic. Taxis (and others familiar with the intersection) routinely ignore the red light and cross anyway.

It is quite common to see confused motorists opposite these lights waiting to go straight only to have 50 cars pile up behind them beeping them through a few sequences until they give up and turn left or right.

I know all of this as I used to attend RMIT university which is just around the corner from here.